Australia plans indefinite detention of convicted extremists

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will indefinitely detain people convicted of terrorism-related charges if it feels they pose an ongoing danger to society upon their release, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Monday.

Turnbull compared the measures to those employed against some child-sexual offenders and cited what he called a growing number of attacks such as the recent Bastille Day attack in Nice, France, that killed dozens.

"The measures we are announcing today are designed to deter terrorism, prevent it, ensure that the nation and our people are kept safe," Turnbull told reporters on Monday.

"It will provide a very real incentive for people in prison for terrorist offences not to engage in continued extremist activity."

A staunch U.S. ally, Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since 2014, having suffered several "lone wolf" assaults, including a cafe siege in Sydney in which two hostages and the gunman were killed.

About 100 people have left Australia for Syria to fight alongside organisations such as Islamic State, Australia's Immigration Minister said last month.